Where would you go for a kiting vacation that would offer everything you want in kiting, warm, clear tropical waters? Has to be attractive to the wife also. Not too far away and not too expensive either.

I'll second Venezuela. My wife and I got back from Margarita Island last month. Unfortunately, I didn't get to kite. But I couldn't believe the beaches on this island. The variety was simply amazing. You want a flat bay with 15 knot winds? Cool. Want head high surf to play in with a consitent 20 onshore? Covered. Want nice little peelers and stuff to jump, and then sail up for a drink at the bar? Done.

And here's the kicker...every beach we went, every single one, didn't have anybody out on it. Nobody. There's a local kite/windsurf beach, and that's where all the wind people stayed. I couldn't believe it. It was a somewhat crappy beach too. We never saw anyone sailing anywhere else the two weeks we were there.

My wife liked the vacation too, just get used to not being able to use a map to navigate (streets may or may not be on the map, and if they are on a map, they may or may not exist or be in the correct place). The people are super friendly, it's cheap and the food rules.

No problem at all with being American down there. Just don't act like the typical American tourist and you're fine.

I would say for the cost of airfair of getting to South America (not to mention the mere shlep and other hazards), you might be better off going to Hawaii. There are lots of great deals on condos for the week or so. And if you're really creative you might arrange a house swap. Airfair will definitely be cheaper and have seen some deals for as low as $350rt/pp.

Don't know about your wife, buy mine is definitely not into the third world experience (especially if I am on the water the majority of the time).

Baja is another possibility and a reasonable distance to temperate blue/green waters. The fishing is great too! Say hi to Sammy Hagar.